About HelloYello

Student and Teacher Empowerment

Students are empowered to take proactive steps that address their own needs, while simultaneously being directed away from the chain reaction of punishment that leads to feelings of low self worth.

Teachers are then able to easily reward students with specific, personalized responses that address their unique experiences; as well as reinforce them for communicating openly with a trusted adult, and forging a durable, lifelong behavior pattern that promotes fulfilling relationships.

Our Mission

We are bringing back a fundamental element of teaching that has been pushed aside in the mad dash to higher test scores: Relationships. The most compelling story in education is the one in which a student returns to their teacher after many years and says, “You changed my life by believing in me."

Research has proven that students cannot reach their full academic potential without solid social emotional support and we are dedicated to building confidence in students and empowering them to take charge of their mental health. We are committed to lifelong learning and will continue to challenge ourselves with meeting the changing demands of the learning environments of today.

Our Philosophy

We believe that EVERY child has a strong desire to be successful at school, and to make their family and teacher proud. We know that when students have difficulty meeting behavior and performance expectations at school, it is because they are experiencing thoughts, feelings, and events in their lives that they do not yet have the ability to cope with on their own.

Teachers choose the field of education to forever change the lives of students and play a major role in shaping a better world. We founded Direct Line so that the voice of every student will be heard, and teachers will have the opportunity to know each child as a whole child.

Why HelloYello

Student Check-in

Using a confidential format, students answer a short series of specially designed questions that elicit information about their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. The responses go directly to their teacher’s account, to be reviewed at the teacher’s earliest convenience.

Save Time Exponentially

Teachers and Administrators proactively manage the emotional and social health of their students. Students are allowed to express their needs appropriately without disrupting instruction. This results in fewer punitive actions and fewer students sent out of the classroom.

Emotions At A Glance

Teachers know about the important events, thoughts, and emotions that students experience on a day-to-day basis, allowing them to build strong, effective relationships and educate each student as a whole child.

Data For Admins

Administrators and school psychologists use data to inform their decisions, track students’ social and emotional progress, and ensure that appropriate interventions are in place. Students stay in their classrooms and keep learning, which helps prevent suspensions, expulsions, and drop-outs.

Data also provides evidence of compliance with 504 plans and Child Find, and lowers risk of over-identification for special education referral.

HelloYello Team

Meet the members of HelloYello.

Ryan Sportel

Co-Founder

Brandon Sportel

Co-Founder

South River Studios

Development Team

Brothers Ryan and Brandon Sportel are Education Specialists in Santa Barbara County, California. With a combined 30 years of teaching, their experience spans K-12, and includes public schools and residential treatment settings. Ryan and Brandon each earned their M.A. degrees in Education from CSU Northridge.

Through their work, they both noticed that the emotional and social health of their students affected their behavior and their ability to learn. With larger and larger classroom sizes, they set out to create a solution that would allow teachers and administrators to help each and every one of their students with their social emotional health.